Last week, both the Senate and the House approved legislation allowing the White House to penalize or impose sanctions on Russia and other countries that help Iran develop nuclear, chemical or biological weapons. The bill was modified to make the penalties discretionary rather than mandatory.

Vinyl Coil Scraper

The only specific overture to Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution occurred during the Reagan administration, when the United States secretly traded arms for help with the release of hostages held by Iranian allies in Lebanon in 1985-86.

Times staff writer John Daniszewski in Cairo contributed to this report.

It is a key part of Re!nvented - a themed performance comprised of musical pieces that have also been reused, transcribed, or wholly revisited. This dynamic collaboration is as avant-garde as it is socially responsible, explains Valenti who teamed up with TerraCycle , a line of worm poop plant foods, flower pots, bird feeders, composters and other eco-friendly products. By changing the way people think about waste, we are challenging an entire society to take responsibility for what happens to their trash.

The idea for the drink pouch medium comes from TerraCycle's revolutionary collection fundraiser, the Drink Pouch Brigade . In conjunction with Honest Tea , they have set up locations across the country to collect used drink pouches - helping to divert some of the four billion non-recyclable pouches that clog America's landfills each year. Lined up back-to-back, those drink pouches would circle the globe over fifteen times...as part of the dress, they extend into dynamic flowing layers and a majestic train.

Prospective participants can sign up for free at Terracycle.net . To check out the dress, the recital is scheduled for February 19th at 7:30pm at Carnegie Hall .

snag an eco-chic clutch eco-cheeky jewelry ... don't miss: Eco-stylish, bamboo-jersey frocks fashion re-purposed for a great purpose ditch the plastic bags! this green shopper totes in style eco-luxurious bags fashiontribes .

By JIM YARDLEY Published: May 15, 2008 JUYUAN, China — The bodies are everywhere. Some are zipped inside white vinyl bags and strewn on the floor. Others have been covered in a favorite blanket or dressed in new clothes. There are so many bodies that undertakers want to cremate them in groups. They are all children.

"Our grief is incomparable," said Li Ping, 39, eyes rimmed red, as he and his wife slowly, carefully pulled a pair of pink pajamas over the bruised, naked body of their 8-year-old daughter, Ke. "We got married late, and had a child late. She is our only child."

The earthquake that struck Sichuan Province on Monday has so far claimed more than 19,000 lives across China, and thousands more people remain missing or trapped beneath rubble. But the awful scene at this local morgue is a sad reminder that too many of the dead are children in a country where most families are allowed to have only one.

These children symbolized the earthquake's seemingly indiscriminate cruelty. But the cruelty, in the eyes of their parents, was also man-made.

Several schools in nearby Dujiangyan collapsed while classes were under way. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao visited two of them, including Xinjian Primary School, where parents say officials told him the death toll was 20 pupils.

"I am Grandpa Wen Jiabao," the prime minister said as he watched two children being pulled from the rubble, according to Xinhua, the official state news agency. "Hold on, kids! You'll definitely be rescued."

But enraged parents interviewed at the morgue on Wednesday afternoon and early Thursday morning say local officials lied to the prime minister to hide the true toll at Xinjian, which they estimate at more than 400 dead children. Several parents blamed local officials for a slow initial rescue response and questioned the structural safety of the school building. They were also furious that officials forbade them to search for their children for two days and then allowed access to the bodies only after the parents formed an ad hoc committee to complain.

"Before Wen Jiabao came, the whole school was filled with children's bodies," said one mother who sat outdoors at the morgue with her husband in the early morning darkness beside the covered body of their 8-year-old daughter. "Her father and I had stood outside the school since the earthquake. We pleaded with the government: 'If she is dead, I want to see the body. If she is alive, I want to see her.'"

Her husband, a thin man, leaned forward into the yellow light of two candles. "We're telling you the truth," he said. "Get the truth out."

The morgue is an hour outside Dujiangyan on an isolated rural road, yet the parking lot was filled at 1:50 a.m. on Thursday. Parents and other family members clustered around the bodies of their children. Some burned fake money to bring their lost child good fortune in the afterlife. In one room, 25 small bodies were scattered on the floor. Some children had already been taken away; an empty white body bag lay near a sneaker and a filthy pair of boy's trousers. Some families had placed flowers or incense inside empty water bottles as makeshift memorials.

"There are more in there," said a man, pointing to a rear door. He walked outside to a walkway and paused. Scores of bodies, covered with sheets, were lined in two long rows on the concrete floor. Others were placed in an adjacent room. Parents sobbed or sat silently beside bodies.

"They are all students," said the man in the blue shirt. "Look," he said pointing to a red and white jacket folded beside one body. "That is the school uniform." He pointed to a Mickey Mouse backpack. "There is a book bag."

The two rows of bodies came to an open door that led to the large steel furnaces used for cremation. In China, the dead are almost always cremated fairly soon after death. Usually, there is enough time for funeral ceremonies and rituals, but parents said that officials were worried about cremating so many bodies before they started to decompose. So some parents have been asked if their children can be cremated with dead friends to save time.

Parents say they were only allowed to begin identifying their children on Wednesday. The bodies had remained inside the gated grounds of Xinjian Primary School for two days until officials began transporting them to the morgue on Wednesday.

The earthquake struck at 2:28 p.m. on Monday, and many parents rushed to the school. Xinjian had about 600 pupils, ages from roughly 7 to 12. When parents arrived most of the building had collapsed. They frantically pulled away bricks and chunks of concrete with their bare hands.

"We pleaded with the administrators to help us," said one mother, Chen Li, 39, who came to the morgue on Wednesday to identify her son, a sixth grader. "We yelled, 'Where are the soldiers? Send them to help us!'"

Parents say neighbors and students from a nearby college arrived by 4 p.m. to help with the digging. Local officials and school administrators also came but then left after inspecting the site. Two more hours passed before a large group of paramilitary police officers arrived and told the parents to leave because the area was too dangerous. Parents were relocated outside the school gate, unable to watch as the officers began digging.

Ms. Chen said her son, Zhang Yuanxin, was discovered the same day as the earthquake but then left uncovered in the rain with other bodies on the playground. She said two trucks arrived Wednesday and carried away bodies shortly before Mr. Wen arrived for his inspection.

"I think there were 50 bodies in two trucks that were carried away," Ms. Chen said. "I asked those people, 'Are you taking the bodies away?'"

But she said local officials lied to her and said they were only taking away tents.

Parents say they became so angry over the situation at the school by Tuesday that they formed the committee and complained to local officials. Officials in Dujiangyan could not be reached for comment, but parents say the officials relented on Wednesday by moving the children's bodies to the morgue and providing shuttle buses for people waiting outside the school.

At the morgue on Wednesday, parents walked through rooms lined with bodies on the floor, lifting sheets in the unwanted search to identify a lost child. Cai Changrong, 37, held an urn containing the ashes of his cremated 9-year-old daughter. His wife, Hu Xiu, could not stop wailing.

"We didn't find any bruises or injuries on her body," said Ms. Hu, the mother. "But she lost all her nails. She was trying to scratch her way out. I think my daughter suffocated to death."

Several parents wanted an investigation into the construction quality of school buildings in Dujiangyan. They say six schoolhouses collapsed in the city, even as other government buildings remain standing. One man said officials built two additional stories on the Xinjian school even though it had failed a safety inspection two years ago — allegations that could not be verified.

Mr. Li, the father dressing his dead daughter, also said he believed that the school was poorly built. He arrived at the school minutes after the quake and spent the next four hours searching for his daughter. His forearms were bruised and his fingernails were split and bloodied from digging.

He proudly handed over his cellphone and showed a picture of his daughter, Ke, taken last week. But Thursday morning, he and his wife were preparing for her cremation. They struggled to slip her into the pink pajamas and then dressed her in a gray sweatshirt and pants. Her mother placed a white silk mourning cloth under her clotted black hair.

Mr. Li said he lost his job in 1997 and had been living on a meager welfare payment. He said the school was filled with children from poor families. "My daughter was a very good student," he said. "She was a quiet girl, and she liked to paint. We're putting her in these clothes because she loved them."

He said he was angry and sad. He said his daughter's body was still warm when he found her at the morgue on Wednesday. He wondered how long she lived beneath the rubble. And then he turned away, leaning down slightly, and whispered in her ear.

"My little daughter," he said quietly. "You used to dress yourself. Now I have to do it for you."

sounds like a good idea, right? right. the leggings in question fit almost perfectly, but were a tiny bit too big, causing them to stretch out and kind of fall down at the waistband by the end of the day. i figured copying them would be easy; if i screw up on the sizing a little, chances are theyll end up a little smaller and fit just right!

so i drafted a bit of a pattern, by basically turning one leg inside-out, sticking it inside the other, and tracing around the shape of the leg.

pretty simple, and pretty satisfying so far. for my fabric, i chose a very special chambray-colored knit with some kind of printed-on crosshatch pattern. this is a muslin people, lets not pretend i was actually planning on wearing them in public. (and its a good thing! youll find out why later.)

so here i go, blissfully cutting out my legs, cuffs and waistband and serging away without a care in the world.

... okay, i can see how you might be confused. (i was, too.) notice how the pair on the right almost perfectly matches the pair on the left (original pair) in size and shape.

what you cant see is me proudly trying on my new leggings, only to find out that the waistband only makes it as far up as the crease under my butt cheek. and the cuffs were strained so tightly around my calves that i very nearly qualified for one of those isnt America fat? local news spots with all kinds of rear-end footage of local folks waddling away from the camera.

http://www.pinkwinds.com/leggings-tights/striped-leggings.html

will find stretchier knit next time, and hopefully reveal to you the happy results!

Newborn 0-3 months old Infant 3-12 months old Toddler 1-3 years old Preschooler 4-6 years old School-aged children 6-13 years old Adolescent 13-18 years old Newborn 0-3 Months Newborn babies are completely dependent upon their parents, they do not quite understand that their parents are there to feed them and take care of them. Newborn babies also think they are a part of their parents; they have no idea that they are their own person. They only understand that they feel safe and comfortable when they are with their parents. Crying is their only form of communication and they understand that when they cry, their needs are met by their parents. Newborn babies will look at everything around them; they are only able to decipher objects close to them, which means they will look at your face a lot. They will be able to recognize the sound of your voice as they grow older.

googletag.display('-gpt-ad-2'); Babies can cry for several reasons, they are hungry, tired, wet, or they just need to cry. Some babies cry because they are over-stimulated by their environment. Do not take them to loud environments and avoid taking them to large gatherings until they are ready. They will become attracted to lights, colors, shapes, and dots and they are able to recognize the human face. Babies in this stage cannot understand that they make their bodies move. They may start to work on lifting their head from the ground when they are lying down and they will start to understand by the third month that their hands belong to them. They enjoy sitting with support and seeing the world from a different angle than their back.

Infant 3-12 Months Infant 3-12 months Infants are understanding things and growing at a rapid pace. They are able to understand what things mean; like that milk comes from their mother or from a bottle. They are able to make cooing noises and begin exploring their vocal cords. At the end of the infant stage, they can probably say a few words and are able to make some constant sounds like high-pitched screaming and babbling. Infants will learn how to sit up on their own, crawl, and walk. Initially they perform simple tasks like rolling over and lifting their head. They will play with their feet and hands and put them in their mouth. Some babies will scoot along the floor by pushing with their arms and pushing with their legs. Infants perform physical actions without thinking about the consequences. Everything they grab will initially go to their mouth because they are testing the objects. Their lips and mouth are sensitive and give them information about taste, size, and texture. They will search for things that are in their direct line of vision. Several infants will suffer from separation anxiety. A simple test you can do is hand them to a person they do not see often, if they turn their head and look back to you, this is a small form of separation anxiety. They are looking for their mom and dad to reassure them that it is ok to be held by this person. They have a perception of depth and may be afraid of falling. They will turn their head to noises and will respond to their name. If they hear you talk from another room, they will turn their head and look for you. They are able to see further and can focus on smaller objects because their eye muscles are stronger. Infants will be able to understand some simple words like "mama" and "dada". They will be able to point to things and say the name of the object like "ball". These simple words help them grow their vocabulary. Towards the end of infancy, babies will start to mimic the behavior of others, like clapping. They can start searching for objects that have been hidden from their site and they will be able to pull themselves up to standing, some even start walking before their first birthday. Some simple activities to do with your infant are to talk to them, and read stories to them. Point to objects in the home and say the name of the object. Singing to your infant will soothe and comfort them. Spend time playing with them and do things that make them laugh.

Toddler 1-3 Years Old Toddlers are very busy and very curious. They want to explore and experiment with their limitations. Some toddlers can suffer from separation anxiety and they have difficulty being with other people besides their parents. Toddlers can walk on their own and they will be able to understand certain words like `yes' and `no'. They only think about their own feelings and cannot control their impulses. They will be easily distracted and energetic about new things. Toddlers are afraid of separation and they are unable to think about the future. Sharing is difficult for them because they cannot understand that they will get a turn with a toy or with other things. Toddlers enjoy playing games, especially games that are repetitive. They like to imitate others and pretend to do things that their parents are doing, like talking on the phone or making cookies. Toddlers like to demonstrate independence and have a desire to do things on their own. They will try to dress themselves and they will want to feed themselves and choose their own food. Their memory skills are improving and they will be able to do puzzles, color, and remember past events. Toddlers become social and like spending time with other adults and children. They can create imaginary friends and will pretend to talk to them. By the time they are 24 months old, they can run without bumping into things. They will be able to understand what items they can play with and what items are not to be touched. Toddlers can turn door knobs and can push buttons. They also start walking up and down stairs instead of crawling up and down them. Toddlers like to play hide and go seek and play dress-up games. They can respond to questions and they like to play by themselves sometimes. Toddlers are constantly expanding their vocabulary so you may have a difficult time keeping them quiet. Teach them how to use a `quiet' voice and a `loud' voice. By the time they are 3, they can complete sentences. They are also prone to temper tantrums because they may be unable to express what they are feeling. Toddlers love to identify simple things, like animals and they like to mimic the noise the animal makes like `bark' for a dog. Toddlers develop a sense of humor around 36 months to 48 months. They will repeat things that are funny to them and they love to laugh. If they have younger siblings, they will try to teach the infant things. They will even be able to watch the infant and keep them from touching things or doing things that may harm them. Toddlers like to be given responsibility, so try asking them to do things like cleaning off the table or helping with the garden.

Preschooler 4-6 years old Once a child reaches the preschool years, they are able to control themselves more. They will be completely potty trained and they will be able to express their feelings to other people. They can understand that everyone has feelings and they will show empathy. They also like being with other children their age. They may have fears of things they cannot understand like darkness, noises, animals, and monsters. Some children still cling to something that gives them comfort, like a stuffed animal or a toy. They can understand the difference between a boy and a girl. Often preschoolers can be caught lying because they are struggling with things that are real and things that are pretend. They have always assumed that their parents understand what they are thinking, so it is difficult for them to transition into the new world of being accountable for things. They enjoy physical activity and want to play outside. They will learn how to draw people and they can even start cutting with scissors. During this age, they will become cooperative with other children and they will take turns. It is important to give them activities that involve painting and drawing, because these are new skills for them that they enjoy doing.

School-aged children 6-13 years old In the beginning school-aged children are working on their hand-eye coordination and struggle with their physical abilities. Some children will develop faster than others and this may cause some children to become frustrated. School aged children will have a short attention span in the beginning, but it grows to over an hour by the time they reach 12. Constructive activities like sports and music lessons can help them focus and release stress and tension.

So what's in it for you? Well, aside from the joy of watching someone you care about become the better half of one couple, you get to help her plan, organize and prepare for the wedding . And even if she's hired a wedding planner , don't think there will be nothing for you to do. A wedding planner is just that -- someone who plans the wedding. The execution is up to the bride and whoever's helping (read: you). Though it may be fun to taste cakes and shop for dresses, it's also surprisingly expensive, and the more help the bride needs, the pricier your bridesmaid duties will become.

We thought it'd be a good idea to break down the actual cost of being a bridesmaid. We'll cover everything from the essential expenditures every attendant is expected to pay to the oh-my-goodness-I have-to-pay-how-much-to-board-my-dog fees you might not think about before saying yes to standing beside her when she says I do.

In "Disney Princess Dress Up 2," which can be found on the Dressup24h website, you get to create the looks of the iconic Disney princesses on your model. Click to drag and drop the dresses, shoes, accessories and hairstyles onto your model to turn her into a Disney princess, or mix and match to make your own, Disney inspired look! If you need inspiration, hover your mouse over the question mark to see all of the possible looks.

"Disney Princess Mix and Match," from the DressUp24h website, is another simple dress up game where you get to create an iconic Disney look or design your own princess style. Click to drag and drop each article of clothing, prop or hairstyle onto your model, and then let go to let it snap into place. The game includes the looks of classic princesses Ariel, Snow White, Pocahontas, Cinderella, Jasmine, Aurora and Belle, as well as less traditional Disney characters such as Alice in Wonderland, Princess Eilonwy, Megara and Kida.

"Rock Star Fashion Challenge," which is offered on the official Disney website, gives you the opportunity to play personal stylist to Disney pop star Hannah Montana. In the game, you need to hunt through Hannah Montana's room to find each article of clothing she needs to wear for her big concert tonight and get her dressed. Pay attention to the limousine at the bottom of the screen — once it gets to her house, you need to have your outfit finished !

http://www.pinkwinds.com/dresses/short-sleeve-dresses.html

In "Disney Princess," which can be found on the Dressup24h website, you get to dress up the classic Disney princesses and create their traditional looks. Use your mouse to drag and drop each dress, top, pair of shoes, hair style and accessory onto your model to create the perfect look. You can recreate the looks of the traditional Disney princesses or mix and match pieces to come up with your own unique style.

Anyway... its pretty interesting that I have come to learn about twins. I believe the P4 are learning about them now in their science lessons coz I've remember one approached me to ask about the 2 different types of twins: Identical Twins and Fraternal Twins when I was doing relief in their class.

Thus both feotus will share the same genetic make-up as they essentially came from the same egg and same sperm. Therefore, they are always of the same gender, thus IDENTICAL. But I read last night, that there's chances (but very very rare) that you'll have a boy-girlidentical twins, but tats not good news coz it means the girl twin will probably be suffering from Turner's Syndrome... something like Down Syndrome.. So .... in general, identical twins are ofsame gender. So stop asking if the twins are identical, if they are of different genders -.-...

Their learning progress is generally in the same band, that is, if one of the twin is smart, the other twin is smart too. If one of the twin does badly in class, the other one will also be among the bottom few. If one suffers from a diesease, eg, heart disease, the other one will also suffer from the same disease. Reason being.... SAME GENES ;X

Fraternal twins share about 50% of the genes, and therefore, they may or may not look alike. However, if your twins are of mixed genders, they are fraternal twins.

Fraternal can also come in the form of Girl-girl twins, or Boy-boy twins. According to one Australian Study, 50% of their Fraternal twins are Boy-Girl twins, while the rest are twins of the same gender. However, some other statistics says its 33.33% for each type of twins, so the chances of getting twins of same gender increase up to 66.66% vs the chances of getting mixed-gender twins of a mere 33%. Makes quite a big difference in %% isn't it? ... Hmm... Should have had my fraternal twins in Australia... then I'll stand a 50% of getting a mixed-gender twin ;X

Studies also show that, fraternal twin girls are likely to conceivefraternal twins in future. So... fraternal twins runs in the family... Identical twins is just an occurance by chance... Interesting isn't it? I would have tot that splitting of egg, something so .... amazing... is more likely to be something that runs in the family.. Hmm...

Anyway if yr twins are of the same blood type, same gender and looks the same... and u are really interested to find out if they are identical or fraternal, you can always go for genetics testing.

For my case, they are fraternal according to the gynae, as they both each have their own placenta and sac. Due to that, I am spared some of the pregnancy complication like twin-to-twin transfusion, whereby they share the same blood supply which may result in one twin growing at the expense of the other, or situations like con-joined twins.

I am also glad that even if one kid doesnt do well in school, it doesnt meanthe other one will also be CMI. I mean... at least if my Maths' lousy, my sibling can help me out ... ;X

One of the babies as seen from the 17th week scan looks like a girl... Shall wait for confirmation in 2 weeks time when I go for the detail scan. Hopefully I'll be one of the 50% Australia stat, or 33.33% of those, who are able to get a mixed gender twin.

The kids munch on what the forest provides, calling leaf buds "forest candy." For Kenny, the preschool is a culmination of years of working with children and a love for the outdoors. She used to be a lawyer, but was inspired to start her school after reading Richard Louv's book "Last Child in the Woods." In the book, Louv coined the phrase "nature-deficit disorder" to explain a lack of connection between the country's children and nature. He argues that the decrease in nature dwelling leads to a rise in childhood obesity, attention disorders and depression. At such a young age, Kenny says, children shouldn't be taught complicated subjects. They shouldn't be force fed math or language. She says she's often asked what children learn at her school. Her reply is that these children are well versed in basic environmental science. As time goes by, Kenny says, there will be more evidence that these schools are appropriate models for children. Kenny says children should be left to explore by themselves. She and her assistant teacher use the children's natural curiosity as opportunities to teach. In her school, the children decide what they're going to do each day, not the teachers. "They tend to retain the information better because they're actually touching and feeling and tasting the lessons," Kenny says. One of the key lessons taught here however is not for the kids, but for the parents. To be in this school, parents must know how to appropriately dress their children for all kinds of weather. That's particularly important in this part of Washington, where rain is nearly constant in the winter and showers and sun alternate seemingly minute to minute in the spring. So, even in May, kids arrive with rain pants, rain coats, mitten, and gloves. If the weather heats up, the layers come off. Mom Meghan Magonegil says she wasn't sure at first whether an all-outdoor school would work. "Once we got here, I would pick Finn up and he'd be wet and muddy and smiling and happy and I knew it was perfect," she says of her son. Since the school opened, only once have the students sought refuge in a small cabin because of the weather, Kenny says proudly. That day, the snow was too deep to walk around. On a recent schoolday in May, the kids asked questions about leaves and bugs. They already knew which of these leaves were edible. They climbed trees and ran around the property. At one point, they decided to play music and, later in the day, to make cakes out of mud. In 4-year-old Lorelei Fitterer's opinion, being outdoors is great, especially when it snows. "Because I get to paint the snow and stick leaves in it, and I used to even taste it. It was so funny," she says. Teachers Erin Kenny, left, and Karen Olsen, third from left, help children identify and eat leaves of the edible plant Miner's Lettuce. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) Beulah Ellison-Taylor, 3, shows her delight in splashing mud on her face. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) Teacher Erin Kenny, right, looks on as Lola Dammann, 4, second from left, and Beulah Ellison-Taylor, 3, second from right, explore mud spread on a table. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) Lola Dammann, 4, right, arrives at Cedarsong Nature School's outdoor preschool. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) Students listen to teacher Karen Olsen tell a story as they sit inside and near a "fairy house." (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) Beulah Ellison-Taylor, 3, left, and Finn Magonegil, 3, carry a basket of organic snacks. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)